If you own Jordan Howard, don’t panic!

Jordan Howard hasn’t had the best start to the season, but we can’t go on tilt because of it. We came into the season knowing that Howard might not be the guy on third downs and passing situations, and since the emergence of Tarik Cohen, our natural inclination is to think Howard has no relevance. Week 2 was an abysmal scenario for Howard, where the Bears couldn’t get anything going, and were down the entire game. Howard was limited all week because of a shoulder injury, and because of it and the negative game script, he couldn’tdo much in this game. He was seen with his arm in a sling after the game, so we need to wait for him to get healthy.

I would NOT trade him right now because he doesn’t have much trade value at this point. So much changes in the fantasy football landscape from week to week, and if you treat Howard as depth right now, it will pay off. Just wait until he’s healthy. As of right now, assuming he’s healthy, I would play him in games at home where the Bears aren’t much of an underdog or favored. Jordan Howard remains the Bears’ primary running back, and is too talented as a runner to not use him in this struggling offense. Remember, Jordan Howard was second in the league last year behind Ezekiel Elliott in rushing yards, and didn’t even start a game until Week 4. Once Howard is healthy, he will still be in on plenty of third downs because of his pass-protection abilities. He might not be an automatic every-week starter some thought he might be, but he is someone who will reward you in the right matchups. As the season moves on, RBs get more scarce (let alone talented ones), so don’t regret trading him too early.